Degrees of Separation
by Southpaw Swordsman
Summary: When Ludwig moves to Hereford, USA, he doesn't expect to encounter such a strange collection of new people. The yin-and-yang Vargas Brothers, the rambunctious young taxi driver Alfred F. Jones... and what's this about a mysterious "Top-Floor Ghost?"
1. Prologue

**A/N: Okay, I've finally managed to put this up.**

**For anyone who has read my previous story "Taxi," this is the story it was leading up to. For all of those who haven't, you don't need to in order to understand what's going on.**

**Thank you for your interest! Please, enjoy!**

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><p>Prologue<p>

.

Beilschmidt Auto Repair.

Gilbert had started up this business when he was twenty years old, it being a spur-of-the-moment idea brought on by an old garage closing and Gilbert having a few dollars burning a hole in his pocket. Though it was only a modest establishment with a handful of workers in the small town of Greenfield, over the past five years it became known as one of the best places around to find a mechanic. People came from all over the area to have work done, and Gilbert couldn't have been more pleased with himself.

That was… if he wasn't working on the dreaded repeat offender.

"Okay, I think I know what's going on…" Gilbert said, pulling himself up and wiping the grease off of his hands, "The crankshaft is damaged."

Ludwig frowned, looking up from his own work, "Are you sure?"

"Not at all," Gilbert sighed. He shook his head and stared at the old vehicle's exposed engine. The car belonged to Gregory Smith, a man who was one of their most loyal customers. The vehicle was no doubt the reason for such a thing; it was broken down far more often than it was running. Gilbert kicked the old car's fender lightly, "I think he should just scrap this thing and get something new. I don't care how much he pays us; I don't want to work on this piece of junk anymore!"

Ludwig sighed, "I agree," he muttered. He made his way over to the old machine, rolling up his sleeves as he did so. Gilbert quickly moved out of the way as his younger brother began the steps to removing the engine from the car. It was something that Ludwig did automatically at that point… Gilbert was still far too proud to ask for help on his own accord.

"Thanks, Lud…"

"No problem."

It took a little while, but Ludwig successfully dislodged the engine and attached it to the stand next to the vehicle. Gilbert immediately set to work taking it apart to see if the crankshaft was indeed damaged.

"This thing is as much a piece of junk as the car it's in!" he lamented.

Ludwig quickly wiped his hands off and walked back to the truck he had been working on. His job was simple, an oil change and a quick once-over to make sure everything was in good condition.

Ludwig had worked alongside his brother whenever he could, during his senior year of high school and all through the breaks during his college years. He found the work enjoyable and the money was very nice, but it wasn't the center of his life, the way it was with Gilbert.

Ludwig had something else he wanted to do…

"Yeah, look at this thing. It's all bent out of shape!" Gilbert said, glaring at the exposed crankshaft, "How did Greg manage to do that?" He gave it an experimental poke.

"Do you think you can fix it?" Ludwig asked as he slammed the truck's hood closed.

"I don't know," Gilbert sighed, "This thing is pretty mangled."

Ludwig walked over to take a look, "Here, let me see…"

Gilbert moved out of the way, "Be my guest."

However, before Ludwig had a chance to look at the horribly misshapen crankshaft, his cell phone went off. Ludwig blinked. His cell phone never went off during work hours… _unless it happened to be…_

Ludwig immediately pulled an old rag from his pocket and rubbed off as much oil and grease as he could from his hands. "Excuse me," he muttered, pulling his cell phone from his other pocket, scanning the caller ID and then running outside to take the call.

Ludwig flipped the phone open and pressed it to his ear, "Hello? Yes?" he asked nervously.

"Hello," a low, even voice responded, "Is this Ludwig Beilschmidt?"

"Yes, yes it is…" it was then that he became aware of his heart throbbing in his chest. This was it. This was the call he had been waiting for...

"Mr. Beilschmidt, this is Berwald Oxenstierna of the Hereford Times," Ludwig's hand shuddered as his heart pounded even louder, "I like the way you write."

Ludwig nearly dropped his phone. The voice was so calm and emotionless that Ludwig felt stupid for reacting so strongly to it… but this was _Berwald Oxenstierna._

Ludwig quickly recovered, but still couldn't think of anything more to say other than, "Really?"

"Yes, really," Berwald replied as coolly as ever, "I want you on the team."

Ludwig swallowed, "I would be honored, Sir."

"I want to see you here in two weeks."

_Two weeks!_ Ludwig blinked, "I… I…"

"That isn't too short a time, I hope?" there was no real inflection in the voice, as though the question was asked out of habit instead of actual concern.

"No!" Ludwig nearly shouted, "No… two weeks is fine."

"Good. I'll see you then, Mr. Beilschmidt. Goodbye."

"Y-yes. Goodbye, Mr. Oxenstierna."

There was a small click and the line went dead.

All Ludwig could do was stare slack-jawed at his cell phone.

Berwald Oxenstierna… the editor in chief of the Hereford Times… he _liked_ the way Ludwig wrote…

"Hey, Houdini!"

Ludwig looked up dazedly to see his older brother lazily walking outside to join him, "Hey, Gilbert."

Gilbert gave an impish smile as he wiped his hands on an old rag, "You disappeared pretty fast when you got that call. Let me guess… it was that Bernard Oxenstraw guy you're always going on about."

"Berwald Oxenstierna," Ludwig corrected, eyes drifting back down to the cell phone in his hand, "…and yes, it was him."

Gilbert's grin widened, "Did you get the job?"

"Yeah…" Ludwig replied.

Gilbert's smile widened all the more as he clapped his younger brother on the back, "Y'see? I knew you could do it!"

Ludwig shook his head, the shocked expression not leaving his face for an instant, "I still don't believe it… Berwald Oxenstierna…"

"You're talking to a guy who doesn't really know anything about who that Bernard Oxenterra is," Gilbert said.

"Berwald Oxenstierna," Ludwig corrected absently, "He's one of the newspaper business's…"

Gilbert held up a hand, "Nor do I care. Now…" he directed his younger brother to the garage, "I still want you to see this crankshaft here…"

The rest of the workday passed in a blur. The crankshaft did have to be replaced; Gregory would not be pleased. Oil was changed, filters were replaced, cooling systems were inspected… but Ludwig was running on autopilot for the most part… that short phone call demanded his attention far more than any vehicle ever did.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: In Which Ludwig Meets the Vargas Brothers

.

"Hi, there! Are you new? Welcome! Kiku didn't tell us there'd be a new tenant! What's your name?"

Ludwig stopped halfway into inserting his key into the doorknob to turn and stare at the person who had seemingly materialized out of thin air.

The young man was soft-looking, as though he hadn't done much in the way of physical labor his whole life. He held himself rather loosely, and his smile was genuine. He reminded Ludwig of a child, though it was obvious that this young man was roughly his age. There was a bit of a pause as they both simply looked at one another.

"Oh," Ludwig said, snapping up a little straighter and feeling his face flush from embarrassment, "Right, right. My name. It's Ludwig. Ludwig Beilschmidt." He held out his hand for the young man to take.

The young man cocked his head slightly as he shook Ludwig's hand, "Ludwig," he repeated, testing it out. His smile grew, "It suits you!"

Ludwig gave a slight awkward nod, "Uh…thanks...and you are…?"

The young man continued to smile, "I'm Feliciano Vargas," he said, "I live right next door with my brother… you should visit when you're done moving in!"

Ludwig nodded, "Yes," he responded uncomfortably, "Um… it's nice to meet you, Feliciano."

The young man laughed, "Nice to meet you, too!"

Ludwig returned Feliciano's smile awkwardly, waited a few seconds, and then turned back to the door. Well… the conversation had gone better than he had expected. _I really need to work on that sort of thing…_ Ludwig told himself as he completed the task of unlocking the apartment.

The key turned smoothly, ending with a rather satisfying _clack_. Ludwig pushed the door open and peeked inside. It was new and clean, just as the photographs and the owner Kiku Honda had promised. Ludwig gave a small smile.

"Sakura Point has really nice apartments, doesn't it?" Feliciano asked, suddenly popping up next to him to peer into the room.

Ludwig blinked in surprise, "Ah… what…?" _Didn't he leave…?_

"He doesn't give you any furniture, though…" Feliciano continued, "You have to get that on your own…"

_I didn't see him leave…_ "I know…"

"There's lots of room to fill, isn't there? I never really got to see my apartment without anything in it… I moved in with my brother when I was kicked out and it was all set up when I got there…"

_Why didn't he leave…? _"Um…"

"Well, see you when you're done!"

…and just like that, Feliciano Vargas vanished. Ludwig blinked. As abruptly as he had gotten company, he had become alone again. It almost made him wonder whether or not Feliciano had even existed at all… _Well… that was… interesting… _He thought, shaking his head and then turning back to his new apartment.

* * *

><p>"Moving in wasn't too difficult, I hope?" Kiku Honda asked, walking into Ludwig's front room and looking about.<p>

"No, it was rather easy. I didn't have many things…" Ludwig responded, motioning to the rather Spartan décor.

Kiku nodded, "I'm glad you've chosen to live here, Mr. Beilschmidt…" he said.

Ludwig shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "I uh… only had two weeks to find a place… if anything, I should be thanking you for letting me move in so suddenly."

Kiku simply smiled, "I always appreciate a new character in my building, Mr. Beilschmidt. By the way, what do you think of the other tenants? Have you met any of them yet?"

"Um, yes… only one…"

Kiku nodded, "Let me guess… Feliciano?"

Ludwig blinked, dropping his arm, "Yes… he's rather friendly, isn't he?"

"He's rather extraverted, yes…" Kiku said, "He's very good at getting people out of their shells, even if it's against their will…"

Ludwig frowned, "Is that so…?"

"Yes," Kiku said, "People tend to like him… but his roommate… he can be… a little difficult at some points…"

"His roommate is his brother, right?"

"Right. He's… not as outgoing as Feliciano and… is rather touchy…" Kiku lapsed into silence. After a few seconds, a polite smile emerged on his face, "There's more tenants than those two, though. You'll probably meet them soon."

"I suppose I will…"

Suddenly, the front door swung open, "Ludwig? Are you done moving in…?" a voice called, "My brother is back, I want you to meet him!"

"Oh, Feliciano…" Kiku said, turning to smile at the man in the doorway.

"Hello, Kiku!" Feliciano smiled, walking into the apartment without any real invitation. He then looked around the apartment, "Hmm…" he frowned, "There's not much here, is there…?" he asked, disappointed.

"I…" Ludwig began, but Feliciano cut him off.

"Come on, you can meet my brother now…" he said, suddenly grabbing Ludwig by the arm and trying to make his way out of the apartment. Ludwig immediately shook Feliciano off.

"Hey!" He snapped, "You can't just…"

"Come on!" Feliciano urged, taking Ludwig's arm again.

"But… you….!" Ludwig turned to Kiku for some form of support, but Kiku simply smiled at him.

"Have fun, Mr. Beilschmidt," the man said, sending him off with a polite wave.

Feeling slightly betrayed, Ludwig allowed himself to be dragged out of his apartment and into the hall.

"Lovino just got back from work. He usually doesn't go in on Saturdays, but today he had something to sort out. Manager things, I think…" Feliciano babbled as Ludwig reluctantly followed. It was a rather short walk to his apartment, seeing as though it was only a door over.

Ludwig inwardly sighed. _I'll probably see him a lot, then…_

Feliciano pulled his new neighbor into his own abode and called out, "Lovi! Come out and meet our new neighbor!"

"I'm too tired!" a loud, grouchy voice called from behind a closed door, "Tell him to go away!"

Feliciano looked at Ludwig apologetically, and then turned back to the door, "But he came all the way here, Lovi! The least you can do is come out and meet him!"

"I don't care! I wouldn't care even if he came all the way from Argentina! You're not making me feel guilty at all!" the voice snapped. There was a short pause, then a loud, annoyed sigh, "_Fine._ If he's so desperate to meet me, bring him into my room!"

"But…!"

"I'm too tired to go out there!" the voice shouted.

Feliciano's face fell, and he turned back to Ludwig, "His job is rather stressful," he explained, "I'm sure if Lovi hadn't gone to work, he'd have come out to meet you," The young man shifted his weight, "Well, let's go…"

Ludwig nodded and followed Feliciano into the apartment. He really wouldn't have minded coming back some other day, when Lovino would be less unpleasant, but Feliciano still seemed rather determined to have Ludwig meet him then. _Well… I guess it really doesn't matter…_

Feliciano paused briefly in front of Lovino's door before swinging it open. The two tentatively peeked inside. There in the room, sprawled out on an unmade bed and surrounded with clutter, was Lovino Vargas, reading a glossy magazine. He glanced up boredly, "Hi," he said.

He looked a lot like his brother, with the same body type and shaggy haircut. His demeanor was a lot harsher than Feliciano's, though. He certainly didn't seem very personable, just as Kiku had said.

"Hi," Ludwig responded awkwardly, trying to avoid looking at the mess and giving a small wave.

"Lovi, this is our new neighbor, Ludwig Beilschmidt," Feliciano said, motioning to Ludwig and giving a smile.

At the mention of Ludwig's last name, Lovino's face darkened, "Beilschmidt…?" he asked.

Ludwig nodded, "That's right."

Lovino's expression turned fearsome, "What is a person like you doing around here? Get out! I don't want to look at your ugly face!" he snapped, throwing the magazine at Ludwig in anger. However, his toss was bad and the magazine simply fluttered to the floor a foot or so away from Lovino's hand.

"Ah… wha…?" Ludwig responded, blinking in surprise.

Feliciano frowned, "Lovi!" he cried, stepping in front of his neighbor and putting out his hands in order to shield Ludwig from Lovino's words, "That's not how you talk to new people!"

"Why did you let him into our apartment?" Lovino shouted, his hands already probing around for more things to throw, "Get him out! Get him out!"

"But… why?" Feliciano asked, looking lost and hurt.

"You know why!" Lovino yelled, grasping an old rolled-up newspaper tightly.

"No, I don't…!" Feliciano cried, "He didn't do anything to you, Lovi! He just got here!"

"I'll just be going now…" Ludwig said, slowly backing out of the room.

"You'd better run, Beilschmidt!" Lovino cried, shaking the newspaper threateningly, "…and don't come back!"

"Ludwig, don't go!" Feliciano shouted, "Lovi's just in a bad mood!"

"That's right! I am in a bad mood…and he made it worse!" Lovino yelled.

Ludwig had already made it out of the front door when Feliciano grabbed his arm. "He's really not that bad a guy, honest!" he cried.

"It's alright," Ludwig replied, shaking Feliciano off, "I wasn't expecting him to love me."

"I'm sure he'd like you when he gives you a chance!" Feliciano insisted.

"Well, until that day comes, I'll just stay out of his hair," Ludwig responded.

Feliciano frowned in thought, "O…okay…" slowly, a hopeful smile appeared on his face, "That sounds like a good idea."

Ludwig awkwardly smiled back, "I'll see you later."

"Yes!" Feliciano grinned, "Don't be a stranger!" he then hurried back into his apartment and slammed the door.

Ludwig stared blankly after him. _Mr. Honda said they're not my only neighbors…_ he thought, his hand creeping up to massage his forehead, _They're not my only neighbors…_


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi, everyone. I'd like to thank you for your support. I really appreciate it.**

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><p>Chapter 2: In Which Ludwig Meets Arthur and Alfred<p>

.

"I don't understand why I still have to pay!"

"Look, dude. It's my job. You have to pay just like everyone else."

"But I pay half your rent already!"

"You're paying _your_ rent!"

"Most of the things in the apartment are yours! I'm paying for your storage space!"

"It's not my problem you don't have anything! You could buy more stuff!"

"You know I can't do that right now!"

Ludwig looked up at the sound of a rather animated conversation that was making its way down the hallway. However, the owners of the voices remained unseen. He blinked. _What on earth…?_

"You never complained about this before!"

"That was before you raised your rates!"

_What are they yelling about…?_

Suddenly, two young men turned into the hallway, both blond with only an inch or so height difference between them, engrossed in their shouting match. The shorter was yelling, "It's become too expensive!"

"I raised it fifteen cents!" the taller snapped, "Why is that such a big deal?"

Suddenly, the two looked up and became aware that Ludwig was staring at them. The shorter's face filled with color and he immediately clammed up in embarrassment. The taller, however, looked at Ludwig and shouted, "Hey, you! Do you think raising my rates fifteen cents is too much, or should Artie here shut his cakehole?"

"Don't get a stranger involved in this!" "Artie" hissed, punching the taller in the side, "Don't call me 'Artie,' either!"

Ludwig blinked, _These must be more neighbors…_ perhaps Feliciano wouldn't be so bad after all.

Ludwig was suddenly aware that "Artie" was staring at him, "Wait… are you the new tenant Kiku was talking about?" "Artie" asked.

"Um… I am a new tenant, yes… but I thought Kiku didn't tell…"

"Kiku always tells us when new tenants are coming," the taller interrupted.

Ludwig blinked, "He didn't tell Feliciano."

"Oh, he did. Feliciano just always forgets," "Artie" said.

"Huh…"

"Well, anyway, welcome to Sakura Point," "Artie" said stiffly, walking up and taking Ludwig's hand for a handshake, "I'm Arthur Kirkland… and you?"

"Ludwig Beilschmidt," Ludwig responded.

"Pleased to meet you, Lud! I'm Alfred F. Jones, Artie's roommate," the taller said, roughly pushing Arthur out of the way to shake Ludwig's hand as well.

"Hello," Ludwig replied.

"Good, now that we've got that out of the way… my rates. Do you think raising the rates fifteen cents is going to cripple my business?" Alfred asked, giving Ludwig a look that begged for agreement.

"Your rates?" Ludwig asked.

"Yeah. My rates. Fares? The amount of money people pay for my services? Do you think fifteen cents is that big of a jump? It's fifteen cents! Big deal!"

"If it's not a big deal, then why don't you lower them?" Arthur asked angrily.

"Because it's NOT a big deal!" Alfred defended, "It's YOU who shouldn't care!"

"What do you do that involves ra—"

"I have to pay for other things, Alfred!"

"I have to pay for things, too, Artie!"

"You have enough things!"

Ludwig rubbed his aching forehead. As quickly as the argument had ended, it had stated up again. What was the point of all of this…? Half of him was already tired of it all and wanted to knock the two's skulls together to make them shut up. The other half of him begged him to keep his head. The last thing he wanted were these two people angry at him...

"Oh, I see you've met Arthur and Alfred!"

Ludwig jumped at the sudden words and turned to see Feliciano standing next to him, looking rather serene as the argument escalated from any relevant topic to griping in general. How could the man stay so calm? Ludwig was ready to pop a blood vessel.

…and why was he there, anyway…?

"Do they often do this?" Ludwig asked, gritting his teeth slightly.

"Well, at least once a week," Feliciano said, "They really like to bother each other. I think it's a game or something."

Ludwig blinked, "I have this to look forward to every week?"

"It's not that bad, really... I don't think they're serious…"

"…and you snore!"

"Oh, and you _don't?_"

Ludwig frowned, "…and do they always find it necessary to argue in front of virtual strangers?"

"Actually, they don't care where they argue, or when…" Feliciano said with a smile.

"Yo, hey, Lud... you never answered. Do you think that it'd be bad for business because I raised my rates fifteen cents?" Alfred suddenly asked, turning to face Ludwig once more.

Ludwig blinked in surprise. Apparently, he was in the conversation again. "What do you even do?" he asked. Immediately realizing what he had just said, he violently shook his head, "Wait, wait. I'm not humoring you."

"Oh, come on," Alfred whined, "I need someone to back me up! Artie never listens to me otherwise!"

"It's obvious he knows I'm right," Arthur said smugly.

"Yo, dude. Are you deaf? He doesn't even know what I do! How can he have a good opinion if he doesn't know that?" Alfred snapped. He turned back to Ludwig and flashed a smile, "Oh, and Lud, I'm a taxi driver."

Arthur made a face, "_I'm_ deaf? You're the one who asked him to agree with you when he told you that he didn't know what you do!"

"It's because you'll listen to anyone but me… even a guy who doesn't even know what's going on!" Alfred shouted.

Arthur shook his head violently, "Look, I don't have time for this, I'm done! You'll eventually realize that I was right!" he spun on his heels and began to storm away.

"Where are you going?" Alfred called after him.

"Out!" Arthur snapped.

"Well, I'm not following you!"

"Good! I don't want you to!"

Arthur stomped down the hallway, turned a corner and was gone.

"I wonder what his problem is," Alfred pouted, "I sometimes think he just lives to yell at me."

"Then why are you two roommates?"

Alfred blinked and turned to his new neighbor, "What?"

Ludwig frowned at him, "Why are you two still roommates if you can't stand living with one another? Can you just not get rid of him?"

Alfred laughed, "Oh, we can stand living with each other just fine, dude. It's just we occasionally have to duke it out, ya know? It's how us guys communicate. You're a guy, you understand, right?"

Ludwig could only blink.

"He likes me a lot more than his old roommate, anyway. He tells me about that guy from time to time. Won't mention his name or nothing, but from what I heard, that guy is seriously messed up," Alfred shook his head. He then smiled, "So, anyway, new guy… what's your story?"

"My story?" Ludwig asked.

"Yeah, what are you here for? You're not from Hereford, I know that much… and you didn't take any time moving in after Kiku told us about ya…"

"I had to move in pretty quickly… for a job…"

"What sort of job?"

"A job in journalism."

Alfred's eyes widened, "Arthur's old roommate was a journalist!" he cried.

Ludwig blinked, "Is that right…?"

"I have no idea where he works, though… and all Arthur says is that he writes 'poorly-constructed tripe,'" Alfred said, "I hope you don't get to meet him, though. I don't think he'd be any more decent to strangers than he is to his roommates…I wonder if he has gotten any other roommates… Hey, Lud, if some creepy guy at work asks to be your roommate, just say no, okay?"

"I don't want him coming here," agreed Feliciano.

Ludwig frowned, "I don't think I would have said yes even if you didn't warn me…"

"Well, good!" Alfred grinned, "'Cuz even if you could stand him, Arthur would probably flip. You do _not_ want to see that."

"Okay, then…"

Alfred clapped his hands once, "Well, it's been nice meeting you, Lud! I'm going to go find Arthur now…"

Ludwig cocked his head, "I thought you said you weren't going to follow him," he said.

"No, dude… I have to say that, but he gets more upset if you don't go after him… he's weird. Okay, I'll catch you later," With that, Alfred walked down the hall, turned the corner and was out of sight.

Silence fell upon the hall. Ludwig rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "I don't know what to think of those two…" he said.

"Neither do I," Feliciano replied.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: May I just take some time out to say thank you for your interest in this story of mine. It's finally summer so I actually have time to work on this now.**

**Please don't be shy in telling me your thoughts of this story thus far, either. Good, bad, I would like to know.**

**...but I have talked long enough. Enjoy.**

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><p><strong><strong>Chapter 3: In Which Ludwig Meets Some of His Colleagues

.

"You must be Ludwig Beilschmidt!"

…was the abrupt greeting Ludwig received upon walking into the Hereford Times' headquarters. Ludwig blinked, almost completely convinced that the young man before him had simply appeared out of thin air. The young man smiled warmly, taking Ludwig's hand for a firm handshake.

"Hello! I'm Tino Vainamoinen, but please, call me Tino," he said, "I'm Mr. Oxenstierna's assistant. He's very anxious to meet you, Mr. Beilschmidt."

"I'm very anxious to meet him, too…" Ludwig responded awkwardly.

He had hardly expected a greeting at all, let alone a greeting at the door by the assistant to the _editor-in-chief_. Even when he worked as an intern, he hadn't experienced such a welcome. Therefore, Ludwig found himself simply blinking as the young man continued talking.

"It's so exciting to have a new face here!" Tino said, his violet eyes bright, "I'm sure everyone will be glad to have you!"

Ludwig smiled awkwardly, "Thanks…"

"Follow me, you have to meet Mr. Oxenstierna and then you can get to work…" Tino chirped, making his way over to the elevator. After a second-long pause, Ludwig followed him.

Tino pressed the button for the top floor, pulled back and smiled again as Ludwig walked in before the door closed. "You look nervous," Tino observed.

"I am, a little…"

"Don't worry. Even though Mr. Oxenstierna can be intimidating when you first meet him, he's really not that bad…"

"I hope so."

Tino laughed, "Oh, you wouldn't believe how nervous I was when I first came here!"

Tino threaded his hands together behind his back and hopped slightly on the balls of his feet. He turned back to Ludwig, "…I hope to be an editor here one day… You're really lucky, Mr. Beilschmidt. Most people have to be assistants before they get to be reporters. Mr. Oxenstierna must have been really impressed by your writing…"

Ludwig looked away and coughed, feeling rather self-conscious, "I… uh…"

A soft _ping_ suddenly sounded and the elevator doors slid open. Tino walked out, motioning Ludwig to follow. "His office is this way…"

The walk was short, and soon Ludwig found himself in a tastefully decorated room only a couple yards from a man he only recognized from photographs. _The_ Berwald Oxenstierna. The photographs hardly gave the man justice, however. There was an overwhelming power behind the man's icy blue stare, even through his thin-framed glasses… it felt almost as though the room dropped a few degrees as Ludwig met his eyes.

"Mr. Oxenstierna, this is Mr. Ludwig Beilschmidt," Tino said, pushing the door half-closed.

Berwald Oxenstierna nodded, stood up and stuck out his hand in greeting. Ludwig almost tripped when he walked up to shake his hand.

"It's good to finally meet you in person," Berwald Oxenstierna said in monotone.

"Likewise, Mr. Oxenstierna," Ludwig responded.

Mr. Oxenstierna looked him up and down, and gave another nod. He opened his mouth again, but it was at that moment that the door mysteriously swung open. His icy eyes snapped upward, and Ludwig turned to see a young man slowly turning red in the doorway.

He pushed his pale blond hair out of his eyes with one hand, though his other was securely fastened on the bulky camera he had around his neck, "Oh, sorry… I only wanted to knock but the door was…"

Mr. Oxenstierna only nodded, "It's fine. What is it?"

"Oh, it's just… the graphic designers and some editors are bickering about the layouts again and want you to settle it for them," the young man said.

Ludwig frowned. The young man looked awfully familiar. Had he seen him before…? He suddenly felt the weight of a hand on his shoulder.

"Please excuse me, Mr. Beilschmidt," Mr. Oxenstierna said monotonously, "I have to attend to this, I'm afraid."

"It's no trouble at all…" Ludwig responded.

"Mr. Williams…" Mr. Oxensterina said, causing the young man in the doorway to snap up a little straighter, "Please take this man to Newsroom F."

The young man nodded, "Of course, Sir…"

Mr. Oxenstierna looked at Ludwig, "The head editor there will be more than eager to give you your first assignment." He stated.

"Thank you, Sir…"

"Come, Tino. We have to deal with this, now," Mr. Oxenstierna continued, making his way out of the room.

"Good luck, Mr. Beilschmidt," Tino smiled, then he followed his boss out.

After a few seconds, Mr. Williams gave a small smile, "Well, I guess we'd better get going…" he said, both of his hands finding their way to his camera.

Ludwig just looked at the young man. _I've seen this man somewhere before…_ he told himself, _but where…?_ He watched as Mr. Williams began to fidget a little bit, becoming very interested in the cleanness of his camera's lens. _You know… he looks an awful lot like…_ "Are you related to someone named Alfred Jones?" Ludwig asked with little preamble.

A shadow of something flickered across Mr. Williams' face, and Ludwig immediately regretted asking the question.

However, before Ludwig could apologize, the young man began speaking. "He's my cousin," he said, a smile slowly working itself across his features as he pushed up his glasses, "How do you know about him?"

"He's my neighbor."

"Ah," Mr. Williams sighed, and began playing with his camera again.

Ludwig frowned, "I'm sorry, did I say anything wrong…?"

Mr. Williams shook his head roughly, "No, it's just… forget it, it's nothing."

Ludwig frowned a little deeper, but wasn't exactly sure how to respond.

Mr. Williams then looked up, "I have to get you to Newsroom F, don't I?" he asked, a smile on his face, "Follow me."

Ludwig nodded and silently followed as Mr. Williams got into the elevator and pressed a button.

"You're a photographer?" Ludwig asked, motioning to the bulky camera that Mr. Williams started fussing over again as the elevator doors slid closed.

"Yes," Mr. Williams responded with a nod.

"That's very interesting," Ludwig commented.

"It is," agreed Mr. Williams with a smile, "It's the greatest job I could ask for…"

Ludwig nodded.

"You know though… I would like to be a photographer for more than just some newspaper…" Mr. Williams continued softly.

There was a soft _ping_ and the doors slid open.

"Oh, we're here," Mr. Williams said stepping out, "Follow me. The newsroom is just down this hall…"

The walk again was rather short. As they stepped into the spacious, busy room, a voice suddenly sounded over the racket. "Matt! There you are!"

Mr. Williams froze in place, and suddenly, another young person appeared beside him, putting an arm around his shoulders, "We were, like, looking all over for you! You have the pics, right?"

"Yes… on my SD card…" Mr. Williams responded, fiddling with his camera slightly, "Um… Feliks…"

"Yeah?"

"_He's_ not here, is he?"

"The Boss?" the young man asked, shaking his blond hair out of his eyes, "No, he like, had some stuff to do today and he left me in charge…" he then looked up and realized Ludwig was standing there with them.

His green eyes widened in surprise and immediately he darted behind Mr. Williams' back, "Uh, Matt… like, who's that?" he whispered loudly into Mr. Williams' ear, peeking at Ludwig from over the photographer's shoulder.

"Um… Feliks, this is Mr…"

"Beilschmidt… Ludwig Beilschmidt…" Ludwig said, presenting his hand automatically for a handshake.

Feliks looked at Ludwig's hand distrustfully, as though it planned on biting him. Slowly, he pushed his hand out from under Mr. Williams' arm and grabbed Ludwig's hand for hardly a second-long shake, "Feliks Lukasiewicz…" he said.

Feliks continued to stare at Ludwig warily until a look of understanding dawned on his face, "Wait… you're, like, the new guy that he was talking about!"

"I am the new guy…" Ludwig responded a little awkwardly.

"Wait here," Feliks practically ordered, and quickly left their company.

…and just as quickly returned with a manila folder.

Using Mr. Williams as a barrier, he handed the folder to Ludwig, "The Boss, like, told me to give that to the new guy if, like, you came when he was out…" Feliks explained.

"Oh, thank you…" Ludwig said, simultaneously opening the folder and taking out his reading glasses.

"No problem," Feliks responded. Then, he grasped Mr. Williams' wrist and tugged him further into the room.

Ludwig paid the two limited attention, however, because he was busy reading over the handwritten note in the folder. The penmanship was impeccable; it was obvious the person who had written it spent a lot of time perfecting his writing.

_Mr. Beilschmidt,_

_If you are reading this, it must mean that I am not present on your first day. I am dreadfully sorry for such an inconvenience on your part, and I hope to meet you soon in person! The section of the paper you are working for now is the Lifestyle section, the best one in my humble opinion. We have been looking for more reporters, so I am very glad to have you now! In this folder you'll find your assignment, I hope you won't find it too challenging._

_Yours Truly,_

_The Lifestyle Head Editor_

The way he had written the last line, it wouldn't have surprised Ludwig if "The Lifestyle Head Editor" really was the man's real name.

_Why _didn't_ he sign his real name…?_ Ludwig asked himself, flipping through the rest of the pages.

Tomorrow, he would definitely have to ask him.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'd like to say thanks again for your interest in this story!**

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><p>Chapter 4: In Which Ludwig Gets Assigned His Job<p>

.

When Ludwig walked into Newsroom F the next day, the atmosphere had changed quite considerably. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that it was a cloudy day out and weather did have an effect on people's moods. Perhaps a breaking story had just sprung up and everyone was on edge because of it. Perhaps it was because someone had put something in the coffee and everyone was feeling the aftereffects…

However, it was probably because of the strange man who was sashaying around the room and sticking his fingers in everyone's business. Ludwig blinked, and then stared. The man seemed slightly familiar, as odd as it was. Perhaps it was just in the way the man was moving, or the way the man looked… but at the same time, Ludwig was certain that he wouldn't be able to forget _that _sort of person.

"No, no… that doesn't _sell_ that movie. Better adjectives, Kim!" the man chided a rather irked young journalist, tapping on her computer's monitor smartly, "Make me _fall in love_!"

The journalist gave an abrupt nod and waved the man off, "Yeah, yeah…"

The strange man shook his head, "You won't last long here if you don't take this seriously," he replied. He folded his arms and turned away, and just managed to catch Ludwig's eye.

"Ah! A new face!" the man said, a visible sparkle in his sapphire eyes. He gracefully made his way over to Ludwig, taking his hand in his, "Hello, I'm the head editor of the Lifestyle section! I'm sorry I couldn't meet you sooner!"

"I-it's perfectly alright…" Ludwig responded, fighting the urge to quickly and rudely back up a few steps. Though he really didn't have that big of a personal bubble, there was something strangely intimate about being so close to this man. Maybe it was the way this man was studying him, eyes drifting over his face slowly as a strange knowing smile spreading on his features. Or maybe it was the way the man didn't really want to let go of his hand.

Ludwig gave a little cough and opened his hand slightly, trying to give the man a hint.

The man however, paid it no mind. "Ludwig Beilschmidt, right?" he asked, his eyes shimmering.

Was he doing that on purpose…?

"That's right," Ludwig responded, eyes flicking back to their still-entwined hands and back up to the unsettling smile that was on the man's face, "…may I ask what your—"

"Oh, Matthew!" the man suddenly cried happily, immediately releasing Ludwig's hand and flouncing over to the doorway where a rather wide-eyed Mr. Williams stood, clutching his camera tightly in his hands, "You have more photos, I see?"

Mr. Williams' face drained of whatever color it once had, "I… yes, I have, Sir…" he responded a little shakily.

"You know my name, Matthew, you don't have to call me 'Sir,'" the man laughed, throwing his arm around Mr. Williams' shoulders.

Mr. Williams seemed to tense as a meek smile spread across his face, "I… uh… thanks…"

The head editor looked over at Ludwig and then back at Mr. Williams, and his smile grew a little more, "Matthew, have you met the newest member of the Lifestyle section?"

"Uh, yes, I have…" Mr. Williams responded, but he allowed himself to be led further into the room to meet the man he had already met.

The head editor gave Ludwig a smile as he and Mr. Williams stopped in front of him, "He told me you already know each other, is that true?"

"Yes…" Ludwig responded.

"Oh, well, sometimes Matthew can be a bit shy and he will lie about having already met new people to stop me from introducing him to them," the man said, "Isn't that right?" he continued, looking at Mr. Williams for confirmation.

Mr. Williams suddenly looked very interested in the floor that point and didn't bother to give any answer besides a quick nod of the head. He then ducked out of the head editor's arm and gave Ludwig and him an apologetic smile, "I… I just came to give some pictures to Feliks…" he explained, "... and they need me still at the Sports section…"

"Well, don't let us keep you, Matthew!" the head editor said, making grand shooing motions with his hands, "Off to your work!"

Mr. Williams' face filled with relief as he immediately turned and fled their company.

"Matthew is such a good person… and he's so modest, too," the head editor said, and Ludwig could swear he almost heard a sigh in the man's voice, "He's the very best of his trade."

"Is that so…?"

"Yes," the man said, "He has the uncanny ability to become invisible! No one plays to a camera because they never notice the camera is there to begin with! He can creep up to anyone or anything and capture them in their most natural state! His work is simply beautiful! If you haven't yet, you simply _must_ see what he can do!"

Ludwig nodded, "I'll be sure to do that…"

"Yes, yes. You must… but now," the man said, turning once more to Ludwig and studying his face yet again, "We have to find someplace to put you, somewhere that you will really thrive."

Ludwig really didn't like the way this man was looking at him, the way that creepy smile began to tug at the corners of the man's mouth, the way that his deep blue eyes shone, the way he was a little too close for comfort…

"Um, Sir… before we do that, could you at least tell me your name…?" Ludwig asked.

The man took a step back and blinked, "You mean I haven't told you my name yet…?" he questioned (a little melodramatically).

"No, and you haven't—" Ludwig began, but the man cut him off.

"My name is Francis Bonnefoy, of course!" the man said. He suddenly cocked his head and looked Ludwig over a few seconds more, mumbling, "…I could have sworn you'd… unless you aren't… but I… never mind…"

"Uh… what?"

"Nothing, nothing! It doesn't matter! I was just talking to myself…" the man said, waving it off.

"Is there any reason why you didn't sign your name on the note yesterday, Mr. Bonnefoy?"

"Note?" Mr. Bonnefoy asked, looking slightly confused. Suddenly, his face lit up in understanding, "Ah, yes. The note I left!"

"Yes."

"I didn't want to write my name on that note because I liked the air of mystery it gave off," Mr. Bonnefoy said, "Gives it a bit of a romantic feel, I guess you could say…"

"Well, if you say so…"

"..and please, call me Francis… or better yet, call me Big Brother," Mr. Bonnefoy continued, getting unnervingly close again.

"Uh…"

"Now, let's have a look at you…" Mr. Bonnefoy said, taking Ludwig by the shoulders and staring him straight in the face, "Hmm… you have the eyes of a hunter I see…"

"If you say so…"

"Please, let me finish, Mr. Beilschmidt," Mr. Bonnefoy said firmly, "A person like yourself looks like he'd be right at home in the thick of things, chasing down truths like wild boars."

Ludwig blinked, "I'm alright wherever you—"

"It is because of this," Mr. Bonnefoy powered over him, "That I want you to be a buzz reporter!"

Ludwig blinked, "A… what, Sir?"

"I want you to be out there finding the news before it's news!" Mr. Bonnefoy said.

Ludwig frowned slightly, "…are you saying that I'm going to be a gossip writer…?"

"No, no! I don't want new gossip, I want new _information,_" Mr. Bonnefoy said with a wave of his hand, "Feliks is head of the gossip columns anyway, and he already has enough writers…but now…"

Before Ludwig really could figure out what was going on, the head editor had his arm around his shoulders and was leading him out the door. "Get out there and find some good stories for all of us," he sang, giving him a little shove into the hallway, "have fun!" he smiled, and then he sashayed away.

Ludwig blinked and watched him disappear into the bustle of the room.

"You got your assignment, then?" he heard a soft voice say.

Ludwig turned to see Mr. Williams looking at him apologetically.

"I suppose I have," Ludwig said lamely with a shrug of his shoulders.

Mr. Williams shook his head, "I'm sorry," he said.

"Why…?"

"Well, Mr. Bonnefoy likes giving people the wrong jobs because on his own romantic inclinations," Mr. Williams explained, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, "…I'm just sorry your first experience with this newspaper will be working with him."

"He is a little strange…" Ludwig admitted.

"Yes," Mr. Williams said with a nod, "A… little… I'm just glad that I'm only a photographer and I don't have to work with him that often… what is your assignment, anyway…?"

"Being a 'buzz reporter,' as he said," Ludwig said with a frown.

Mr. Williams shook his head, "Typical," he mumbled, "Well, good luck, Mr. Beilschmidt, I know we'll be seeing each other again soon." With that, he began making his way into Newsroom F.

"Mr. Williams," Ludwig said, causing the young man to turn and face him again, "Since we're colleagues, you can call me Ludwig."

"If I call you Ludwig, call me Matthew," Matthew replied with a smile.

* * *

><p>"How was your second day of work?"<p>

Ludwig blinked. Though he supposed being neighbors with him would make it obvious he would see him in the hallways, Ludwig was still surprised to see Feliciano Vargas bounding over to him like an overexcited Labrador retriever.

…why did he even care about Ludwig's work, anyway?

"Well, it was…" he began, feeling slightly uncomfortable the way Feliciano was looking at him so interestedly, as though what he said next would affect the rest of Feliciano's day in a tremendous way.

…and truthfully, his second day certainly wasn't the best Ludwig could hope for. A few seconds after Matthew left him in the hallway, he remembered just how new he was, not just in the paper, but in the entire _city._ How was he really supposed to know what was _actually_ new when everything would seem new to him?

Because of that, he had spent his entire day reading past issues of the newspaper and wandering blindly around town asking random passersby for information in hopes of actually getting what Mr. Bonnefoy was looking for. Hopefully, he didn't look too insane, judging by the fact that he _did_ have a notepad and pencil in his hands…

…even though he probably looked lost and desperate…

…and slightly crazed…

…who was he kidding? He without a doubt made a fool of himself.

"…it was fine," Ludwig finished lamely, making his way to his apartment's door.

He decided that he really didn't want to talk about it, especially not to Feliciano of all people. No, he just wanted to go into his apartment and spend the rest of his evening alone.

"You don't look like it was fine," Feliciano remarked.

Ludwig slipped his key into the doorknob.

"You look like it was a terrible second day," Feliciano continued, popping up behind him.

Ludwig turned the key.

"You can tell me if it was," Feliciano said.

Ludwig pushed the door open.

Feliciano put his hand on Ludwig's shoulder and continued sagely, "Sometimes it's best to talk about y-"

Ludwig pushed Feliciano's hand off of his shoulder, "It was fine," he repeated with little conviction, hoping it would be enough to stop Feliciano's yapping… and it did, for a few seconds.

"Well… Grandpa always told me that tomorrow is another day, so you shouldn't get too upset if something bad happens. Just brush yourself off and try again! What do you do, anyway?"

Ludwig gritted his teeth in annoyance, "I'm writing for the Hereford Times," Ludwig said tersely. _Why_ wouldn't Feliciano leave him alone? Was he really _that_ interesting a person?

"What are you writing about?"

Ludwig closed his eyes and breathed a frustrated sigh. _Maybe if I just tell him what he wants to know, he'll be satisfied and go away… _"...new local events…"

"Local events?" Feliciano repeated thoughtfully, "…you should talk to Alfred, then!"

Ludwig frowned, but refused to face Feliciano completely, "Why would I talk to Alfred?"

"Why _wouldn't _you talk to me?"

Ludwig blinked in surprise and turned to see Alfred F. Jones behind him as though he had been there the whole time, grinning like an idiot. Though… if that were the case, Ludwig doubted Feliciano would look as shocked as he did. _So we actually have two Houdinis on this floor…_

"You need the word on the street?" Alfred continued, lightly pushing Feliciano out of the way and draping his arm around Ludwig's shoulders, "I'm your man."

"Where did you come from?" Feliciano asked, "…and where's Arthur?"

"I came from around… and Arthur's off pouting about something or other," Alfred said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He turned back to Ludwig and grinned, "Look, if it's news you want, come with me to work tomorrow. I promise you, you won't be disappointed."

_Why does he care at all about this…? _"… thanks…" Ludwig responded awkwardly, brushing Alfred's arm off of his shoulders.

"No problem!" Alfred said loudly, taking a step back and still grinning, "Anything for a new friend, you know?"

Ludwig gave a strained smile, "Well—" he began, but was cut off by Alfred's ringtone, which was almost as loud, bright and obnoxious as Alfred was.

"Oh, sorry, I have to take this," Alfred said as soon as he caught sight of the caller ID, "I'll see you early tomorrow morning," he added with a wink, and then ran down the hall to answer his phone in peace.

Ludwig pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "So… this is how every day is going to be," he said, more to himself than anyone else.

"Probably," Feliciano responded brightly.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey, everyone. I'd like to take some time to thank you all for your interest in this story, and I hope it continues to entertain you.**

**Please, feel free to tell me what you think of this story, what you like, what you think can be improved... I would certainly appreciate it.**

**Well, that's all. On with the story.**

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><p>Chapter 5: In Which Ludwig Hears of the Top-Floor Ghost<p>

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At five-thirty a.m., more or less, Ludwig was rudely awakened by a loud hammering on his front door and an obnoxiously bright voice shouting, "Hey, Lud! You up yet? We have to get a move on! You're wasting time!"

Ludwig reacted to that the best he could by falling out of bed and letting loose a string of swears.

Muttering nonsense darkly under his breath, he hurriedly got changed into street clothes, and then he stumbled into his bathroom. Why did Alfred get up at such an hour, anyway? It was still dark out… in any case, Ludwig was just glad he had enough foresight to take a shower the night before.

As Ludwig began brushing his teeth, Alfred's voice was joined by Lovino's, which was loudly telling Alfred to _please shut up, _because_ not everyone gets up to go to work in the middle of the night. _

Alfred's voice loudly said back that maybe if Lovino _did get up this early, he would have a better job._

…to which, Lovino's voice snapped that he _didn't want a job that would make him get up before the sun did._

That was when Arthur's voice suddenly sounded in the hall, sounding very loud and grouchy, and imploring both parties to _quiet down or they would both die horrible, painful and slow deaths _at his hands_._

Then… the sounds of shutting doors… and silence.

When Ludwig was ready, he opened his front door to see a grinning Alfred holding two steaming cups of Starbucks coffee, "You have everything, dude?" he asked in a voice hardly above a whisper.

Ludwig gave a nod, putting his hand in his jacket pocket to make sure his notepad and glasses case were there.

"Here, I got this for you," Alfred continued, pushing one of the cups into Ludwig's hand, "I'm not sure how you take your coffee, so it's black."

"Thanks," Ludwig said, studying the cup briefly, "How much was—"

Alfred held up his hand, "Dude, don't worry about it, it's no big deal," He then turned on his heel and motioned Ludwig to follow him.

They made it out onto the sidewalk in what Alfred called "record time," and began making their way down the block. The sun was just peeking over the horizon by that point, and the sky was turning a rather pretty shade of teal.

"Don't you love the early mornings?" Alfred said with a sigh, "The sidewalks are pretty clear, the roads are quieter… it's so different than how it is all other times of day, y'know?"

"Yes," Ludwig replied with a nod, nursing his coffee.

Alfred took a deep gulp of his drink, somehow completely unable to feel how hot it was, "You're not much of a talker, are you?"

"Why do you get up so early?" Ludwig responded bluntly.

Alfred blinked, then laughed awkwardly, "Oh, sorry…" he said, taking another swig of his coffee, "It's just I have to get out before the rush. Everyone wants to take a taxi to work, and I have to be there in order for that to happen, y'know?"

"I see," Ludwig said, taking another sip of his drink.

"I could wake you up later tomorrow if you want," Alfred continued, "…but the way you look, I could have sworn that you get up this early… if not earlier…"

Ludwig replied by taking a rather scalding gulp of his coffee.

"Okay, well… here we are," Alfred said and he suddenly turned left and quickly disappeared into the building next to them.

Ludwig followed him a split-second later, reacting as fast as his sluggish brain would allow.

As he opened the door, he was greeted by a homey sort of sight. A handful of people, all holding steaming cups of coffee marked with logos from all over the city, were walking sluggishly around the room, chattering to one another.

The room itself looked rather old-fashioned, with scuffed dark wood panels covering the walls and flickering florescent lights buzzing audibly overhead. It seemed like something out of the 1970's, and it probably was.

"Why hello, who is this?" A booming voice suddenly asked, breaking the dull atmosphere of the room rather abruptly. Ludwig then felt a thick arm unexpectedly drape around his shoulders. Feeling reasonably alarmed, (so much so that he almost dropped his coffee) he looked up to see a middle-aged, olive-skinned man smirking at him, "I haven't seen you around. Are you new to town?"

"That's Lud," Alfred said, suddenly materializing next to them, "He just got to Hereford a few days ago."

The man's smirk widened as he turned to face Alfred, "You're hard at work getting the freshest recruits, aren't you, Al?"

Alfred shook his head, "Nah, he's no recruit."

"That so?" the olive-skinned man asked. He turned back to Ludwig with his smirk still plastered on his face, "So, tell me Lud, what brings you here?"

"Alfred," Ludwig responded.

The man gave a boisterous laugh, "You've got yourself a real comedian, Al!" he unthreaded his arm from around Ludwig and gave him a hardy slap on the back. (Which also almost made Ludwig drop his coffee.)

"Thanks!" Alfred grinned.

"I would love to stay and talk, but I should probably get moving, Talya can't drive herself," the man said with an apologetic look, "It was nice to meet you, Lud… and Al, I'll see you!"

…and with that, he quickly left their company.

"…Talya?" Ludwig asked, looking a bit lost.

"His taxi," Alfred explained, "We… we kinda get attached to our cars around here."

"…and that was…?"

"Oh, that was Sadik. He knows this city better than he knows the back of his hand," Alfred replied as he put a hand on Ludwig's back and began leading him to the back of the room, "He's really friendly, but you better stay on his good side. The dude can get pretty scary sometimes."

"I'll be sure to remember that," Ludwig replied.

"You'd better," Alfred agreed, swinging a door open, "Back here's the garage. Follow me."

The room was enormous, with walls a dull concrete gray, and flickering florescent lights reminiscent of the previous room. The air hung thick with the smell of oil, dirt and a hint of gasoline, and Ludwig breathed it in deeply… it was one of the best reminders of home he had gotten in a while. Alfred walked past the carefully lined up yellow cars, pointing to each in turn, saying their names and drivers, and talking about them as affectionately as if they actually had blood and a pulse.

"…and this here is Annie, she's mine," Alfred said, stopping at a well-cared for Ford, "Been with me the entire time I've been working here." He patted the hood lovingly.

"She's beautiful," Ludwig said, looking it over, "A Crown Victoria?"

"A classic," Alfred replied with a smile, "Go on, get in on the passenger side. Don't get any coffee on her seats, though. I swear I'll kill you if that happens."

Ludwig gave a nod and slipped inside.

"It's very clean," Ludwig commented as Alfred opened the driver's side door.

Alfred grinned as he plopped into the seat, "Thanks. I'll tell ya, it ain't easy to keep her this nice on the inside… lots of weird people come and go every day… Annie takes a lot."

Alfred closed his door then pressed a small button on Annie's ceiling. Suddenly, the far wall of the garage began to rise, whining and clanking slightly on a rusty track. Alfred's face reddened slightly, "Aheh… we've got to get that oiled," he awkwardly said as he started up the engine.

They rolled onto the street, Alfred pressed the button again, and then they were off.

"Keep your eyes peeled for people trying to flag us down," Alfred said, his eyes flicking from window to window, "Gotta always have someone in your backseat or you'll—oh! Here we go!"

Suddenly, Alfred had pulled up to the curb, speedily and smoothly, smiling as the back door opened and a man tumbled inside.

"Where to?" Alfred asked, and without warning leaned across Ludwig to turn on the taximeter.

"Peterson building," the man responded, fixing his tie slightly. Suddenly, he became aware of someone in the passenger seat, and made a reasonably confused expression.

Seeing it in his rear-view mirror, Alfred laughed, "Oh, don't worry about him," he said, dismissively waving with one hand while his other steered Annie into the street, "He's just here to observe. He won't hurt you."

Ludwig slumped slightly and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Oh…" the man responded awkwardly.

"Anything exciting happening today?" Alfred asked conversationally as he smoothly turned a corner.

The man looked up and pointed to his chest, "Me?" he questioned. When Alfred nodded, he responded, "No, just going to work."

Alfred nodded.

The man seemed satisfied with ending the conversation there and proceeded to look out his window… and that's what he did for the remainder of the short trip.

As the man slipped out of the back seat to get into his building, Alfred leaned over Ludwig again to slip the money into the glovebox. _I suppose I should get used to that…_ Ludwig said to himself with a sigh.

"Okay, so he wasn't a very good first guy," Alfred said, pulling out into the street, "...but let me tell you, there are a lot of people who just talk and talk and talk… that's how I get the word on the street. Just keep your ears open and you'll be sure to get some stuff for your article."

…and so, their morning continued like that.

…and oddly, Ludwig actually _did _pick up some very interesting stuff.

A man with tattoos and piercings all over his body had talked about an upcoming flea market downtown. A Young lady in casual business attire told about her slow revival of an old coffee shop that had been out of business for years… and there were plenty of other things that were spoken of, or at the very least mentioned, by the plethora of people going in and out of the backseat.

"I tell ya, there's a lot of things you learn when you're a cab driver, huh, Lud?" Alfred said as they made their way around downtown.

Ludwig nodded, looking over his notes.

"You think you got enough there?" Alfred asked, his eyes flicking to the notepad in his passenger's hands before looking back out the windshield.

Before Ludwig could respond, however, his cell phone went off.

Ludwig looked at Alfred apologetically and looked at the caller ID… it wasn't a number he recognized, but just to be safe, he answered anyway.

"He—"

"MR. BEILSCHMIDT! IS THAT YOU? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I DIDN'T SEE YOU THIS MORNING! I THOUGHT YOU HAD DIED!" The man on the other line shouted before Ludwig could even give him a proper greeting.

Ludwig blinked, "…Mr. Bonnefoy…?"

"Yes, what is it?" the voice asked in response, dropping a few degrees in both urgency and volume. When Ludwig failed to respond audibly to such a change in temperament, Mr. Bonnefoy continued, "Where are you?"

"Oh, I was just gathering information for my column…"

"Oh!" Mr. Bonnefoy said, suddenly sounding a little chipper, "Oh, very good! Did you get anything interesting? Anything about the raw romance of Hereford itself?"

"I got something about a new flea market," Ludwig responded, holding the phone to his ear with his shoulder and then flipping through his notes again.

"That's good, that's good," Mr. Bonnefoy said.

"I'll write you the article and e-mail it to you right away," Ludwig said, "Sorry for scaring you like that…"

"It's no trouble my boy, but… I… uh," Mr. Bonnefoy said suddenly sounding a bit awkward, "…could you…uh… just come here to write it instead…?"

Ludwig frowned in confusion, but responded, "…I guess I could…"

"Good! I'll see you when you get here," Mr. Bonnefoy said, sounding chipper once more, "Goodbye."

"Goodbye," Ludwig said awkwardly in response, then hung up.

"Let me guess, your boss?" Alfred asked.

"Uh… yes…" Ludwig responded, tucking his phone back into his pocket, "Could you take me to the Hereford Times' Headquarters?"

Alfred shrugged, "Meh, we're close, why not?" he said, taking note of the landmarks, "Heck, I'll take you there on the house."

"Are you sure…?"

"It's not like it's gonna cost me much," Alfred laughed.

"…thanks."

"No problem, dude."

They rolled up to the Headquarters in a matter of minutes.

"See you later, Lud!" Alfred called as Ludwig made his way onto the sidewalk.

"Goodbye…" Ludwig responded a little awkwardly.

Alfred grinned at him, then immediately pulled away into traffic.

Ludwig sighed and made his way into the building. As he opened the door, he spotted Tino talking to a young bespectacled man with gray-blond hair.

"…I'm sure Mr. Oxenstierna can find a place for you—oh, hi, Mr. Beilschmidt!" Tino said, suddenly turning from his conversation partner to give a little wave towards Ludwig.

"Hello, Tino," Ludwig responded, waving back to him and then beginning to make his way to the elevator.

"Mr. Beilschmidt, wait! If you can spare a moment, I want to introduce you," Tino called.

Ludwig looked at the elevator, then back to Tino. _Well… I suppose Mr. Bonnefoy can wait another couple minutes…_ he thought. Then again, this felt a little bit like shirking work…

"Alright," Ludwig responded and made his way back, fidgeting slightly.

"This is Mr. Eduard von Bock, he's a friend of mine looking to intern here," Tino said, presenting the young man. He then turned back to the bespectacled blond, "Eduard, this is Mr. Ludwig Beilschmidt, he's a new employee here."

Eduard approached Ludwig and gave him a smile and a handshake. His eyes drifted over Ludwig's face for a minute, "It's very nice to meet you…" suddenly, his eyes turned thoughtful, "…I think I know you from somewhere…" he said.

"You do?" Ludwig asked.

The young man continued to look at him closely. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers, and with a smile said, "Yes… are you the new Sakura Point tenant?"

Ludwig blinked in surprise, "…yes…"

"Oh, I thought so," Eduard smiled.

Ludwig frowned, "…and how do you know that…?"

The young man blinked, "Oh, oh, sorry," he said, grinning embarrassedly, "I work part-time as a deliveryman… I saw you when I was bringing something to a tenant in your building."

"I guess you go to Sakura Point often…?"

"Oh, yes. Every day, almost, that's how I knew that you were new. How is it, by the way? The people there are usually nice to me, but I can't say the same about everyone…"

"I like it," Ludwig responded awkwardly.

"Has anyone told you about the Top-Floor Ghost yet?"

Ludwig blinked, "The what?"

"The Top-Floor Ghost. It's the resident ghost of the building."

"The what?"

"Oh, you haven't. Well, you should ask about it, I'm sure the tenants would love to tell you," Eduard smiled.

Ludwig simply frowned, "I really don't believe in ghosts."

"Oh, I didn't, either," Eduard said, putting his hands up in defense, a smile still well-defined on his face, "…but I saw that one… and…" he visibly shuddered, "...let me tell you, it is scary."

Ludwig blinked in surprise.

"Eduard," Tino said, placing a hand on the young man's shoulder, "I think we'd better go. Mr. Oxenstierna has a meeting in ten minutes and I want to introduce you to him before then."

"Alright," Eduard said. He turned back to Ludwig and smiled, "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Beilschmidt, I hope I'll get to talk to you again!"

"Bye, Mr. Beilschmidt, sorry to keep it short," Tino said.

"Oh, it's no trouble, I have to meet Mr. Bonnefoy anyway," Ludwig responded.

The two smiled at him, and then departed, leaving Ludwig to think about something he had never even heard of before. _The Top-Floor Ghost…?_

Well, it would be something to talk about when he got home.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: No, I am not dead. Sorry for taking so long with this one, guys! Thank you all for your patience and I hope you continue to enjoy this!**

**Warning: this chapter has a bit of violence in it, but it's all just in a story within this story, so no one is actually getting hurt...**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: In Which Ludwig Learns More About the Top-Floor Ghost<p>

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Ludwig walked up the stairs to the third floor, feeling utterly exhausted. Mr. Bonnefoy had made him rewrite the article three different times, once because it wasn't romantic enough, once because it was too long, and then once more because it was too short. (Mr. Bonnefoy was very particular about the layout of the page and the number of words it could contain, claiming that the aesthetic was extremely important to the reader.)

"…well, Lovi said that business is starting to look up," he heard Feliciano's voice saying as he neared the top steps.

"Very good," Mr. Honda's voice said calmly.

"Yeah, I was starting to get worr—oh, Ludwig! You're back late!" Feliciano said, immediately cutting off his thought when he noticed Ludwig walking up the steps.

Ludwig gave a halfhearted wave in his direction, but Feliciano had already forgotten completely about his conversation with Mr. Honda and ran up to greet him. Mr. Honda didn't seem at all upset by this, though. Instead, his face held a small and rather strange smile, and he began scribbling on the little notepad in his hands.

"Well, Feliciano, I'm afraid I have to be going," Mr. Honda said with a bow, putting his pen and notepad in his pockets as he did so.

"Oh, no problem," Feliciano said, turning around to smile at Mr. Honda fondly, "Let's talk tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," Mr. Honda said with a nod. He then walked around them and made his way down the stairs.

"Why was he writing in a notebook?" Ludwig asked after a few seconds.

"Notebook?" Feliciano said, looking confused. His face brightened, "Oh, yeah. He always does that when he talks to any of us here."

"Why?" Ludwig asked.

Feliciano frowned, "…I… don't know. He just does… and he writes in Japanese, so I'm not sure what he's writing about…" he shifted slightly, but his frown melted off his face in a matter of seconds, "So, how was work today?"

"Tiring," Ludwig said with a sigh.

"Oh, why's that?"

"My boss," Ludwig said.

Feliciano gave a nod, "I guess that makes sense… bosses can be really terrible. Especially when you're trying to take a nap in the afternoon and they yell at you…"

Ludwig looked at Feliciano strangely, _You__ sleep at work…?_

"Well, the best thing to do to get your mind off work is to talk about other things," Feliciano said with an easy smile, ignoring Ludwig's expression,"So, do you have anything you want to talk about?"

Ludwig nodded, "Actually, yes..." he said, "Have you heard of something called the 'Top-Floor Ghost?'"

Feliciano didn't seem to be expecting that conversation topic. His eyes widened in surprise, "How did you hear about him?" he asked.

"Somebody at work told me about him, and I thought it sounded interesting…" Ludwig said. He then looked at the increasingly serious look Feliciano was giving him, "Is he real?" he asked.

"Yeah," Feliciano said with a nod, "Scary, too… they say that he was a murderer when he was alive…"

It was at that moment that Arthur had emerged from the stairwell, interrupting the conversation and looking rather tired out and grouchy from a day of… whatever Arthur did in the day. Ludwig never thought to ask, now that he thought about it. Arthur raised his hand in greeting, which Ludwig and Feliciano returned. He then began making his way toward his apartment.

Feliciano turned back to Ludwig, "…he lived around here with his family a long time ago…"

At hearing this, Arthur suddenly stopped and turned on his heel, "…are you talking about the Top-Floor Ghost?" he asked without preamble.

Feliciano nodded, "Yes," he said. He motioned to Ludwig, "Ludwig asked me about him, so…"

"Can I tell him?" Arthur interrupted, something sparking behind his eyes. Suddenly, Arthur didn't look so tired or grouchy. He seemed…bright. Excited.

"If you want…" Feliciano said, looking a little confused.

Arthur's eyes positively glittered, "Well, it's been said that…" he began, but then he paused, frowned, and looked around unhappily, "No… this isn't a good place to tell it…" he mumbled. He turned and began making his way to his apartment, motioning the other two to follow, "This way."

He opened the door and shooed the two others inside, smiling strangely as he did so.

In the middle of the front room in front of the television was Alfred, sitting crosslegged on the floor with a game controller in hand. He looked up for a second before looking back to the screen, "Hey, Lud, Feli. What're you guys doing here?" he asked, adjusting his headset absently.

Ludwig looked around the front room, since it was his first time being there. Besides the television's glow, there was hardly any light in the room at all. However, even in the little light, Ludwig could see that the room was decorated oddly with two tastes that didn't quite match. Dark wood and bright colors, some bookshelves filled with old books, racks bursting with DVDs, posters, photographs… all shoved together in a way that seemed to show a form of conflict between both of the interior designers' visions.

"Mr. Beilschmidt wanted to know about the Top-Floor Ghost," Arthur responded.

That caught the young man's attention. Alfred paled, paused his game and turned to Arthur with a wide-eyed, frightened expression, "He WHAT? Don't tell that story, it's bad enough when you tell your own stories that I know aren't true!"

Arthur gave a strange sadistic sort of smile, "What? Afraid of a little ghost story, are you?"

"N-no… just… the Top-Floor Ghost is really creepy. I don't like talking about him…" Alfred said.

"Well, you don't have to hear it, just play your game," Arthur said, waving him off and ushering Feliciano and Ludwig to sit on the worn blue couch. Alfred frowned and, probably just to spite Arthur, he took off his headset and joined the others.

"I'm not afraid," Alfred said defensively.

Arthur rolled his eyes and smirked again, "Alright, then. Now, if everyone's ready, let's begin," his eyes traveled over his audience, gaging their expressions already. He leaned in close, his voice just above a whisper.

"It has been said that when Hereford was only a village, a family lived in an old house not too far from where we are now. They were a poor family… the father worked on the railroad, the mother was a seamstress and all of the children had jobs just to make ends meet. They kept to themselves for the most part, and hardly ever talked to their neighbors more than a greeting every now and then.

"Most of them seemed relatively normal from what others could tell… except for one of the sons.

"He never quite looked all there…

"At least, that's what was said.

"Though for the most part, he seemed calm, he had a terrible temper. Small inconveniences would send him over the edge… and he would act out his rage in violent bursts.

"It wasn't uncommon to see the family going about their business in the daytime nursing ugly wounds the he had given them…

"But the oddest thing about it was the young man felt no remorse for what he did…

"Though his siblings would be walking with limps or his parents would have horrible gashes across their faces… he never commented on it further than saying something like, 'They were being careless again.'

"It wasn't HIS fault they couldn't keep him happy, after all…

"One cold December night, something very important to the young man ended up broken… a prized possession he valued even more than his or anyone else's life. Well, surely someone had to be at fault for that… and certainly, someone must be punished. Calmly, he picked up his favorite baseball bat and crept up upon his mother, busy working on her latest dress... I believe it was for a local girl's upcoming wedding.

"Calmly, he raised the bat, and then struck hard over the woman's head, the force of the blow killing her instantly.

"The crack of the bat was heard around the house, and the rest of the family rushed into the room to investigate.

"What they saw was the mother, slumped in her seat, blood pouring from her head and staining the dress… and the young man, holding the blood-stained bat.

"He approached them calmly, with his weapon raised, whispering, 'You broke it…' softly, evenly…

"A few more cracks of the bat laid waste to more of his family, their blood mixing with the blood of the mother on its smooth surface.

"Soon, only one remained, a young girl...who, up to that point, was frozen in fear at what was happening right before her eyes. Eventually, she found her will to run, and she flew out of the house and into the cold, without thinking twice about her bare feet or her thin nightgown. Her only thought was that she had to get away.

"The young man followed after her, a glint in his eyes she could feel cutting into the back of her head.

"The snow and wind numbed her body as the rocks and twigs she ran across cut at her feet. She ran straight into town square, yelling loudly as she went, screaming for someone, anyone, to save her from the same fate as the rest of her family.

"…but the young man had caught up to her, the glint ever stronger in his eyes...

"…and right before anyone could open the shutters of their windows…

"Crack.

"She fell dead, her blood staining the snow on the ground.

"The young man turned, his job done, and began his walk back to his house, leaving his dead sister to freeze in the snow.

"…that, however, was about the time a young man was walking back home from a hunt in the woods… and hearing the awful sound of the bat made him go investigate the scene. What he noticed immediately was the dead girl in the middle of the square and the lone young man with the bloodstained bat walking slowly away.

"Slowly, the young hunter loaded his gun… and pointed it at the girl's murderer.

"…however, the man with the bat heard the click as the gun was loaded, and turned around to face the hunter with an eerie smile on his face. He cocked his head and asked, 'What are you doing with that?' almost conversationally.

"When the hunter didn't answer, the young man with the bat raised his weapon, 'You surely aren't going to use that against me…'

"The young hunter kept his gun raised, and the young man with the bat laughed, 'Very well,' he said, and immediately charged at the hunter, his bat in the air…

"The gunshot rang out louder than the bat on the young woman's head.

"…and the young man fell onto the snow, bleeding from his head, the calm smile forever frozen on his face.

"The young man's body was dumped in an unmarked grave just outside of town; his family was given a more proper funeral.

"Soon, the young man was forgotten by time, and was only spoken of like people speak of old ghost stories. The world kept spinning, the city grew and prospered… and after a while, hardly anyone had even heard of the young man at all.

"So, it is no surprise that Mr. Kiku Honda unwittingly decided to build this apartment building right on top of the young man's grave.

"Kiku told me that the ghost of the young man appeared to him several times in his dreams during construction, calmly telling him to stop development on his grave, or else terrible things would happen. Kiku didn't listen, and continued his project as planned.

"Of course, when he started finishing the inside, strange things started to happen, especially in the top floor. Things would mysteriously vanish and spill, marks and gashes would appear on the drywall… The workers were stricken with strange illnesses that only waned when they quit the job… but the worst thing was when one of the painters mysteriously fell out of the window and met his death on the concrete below…

"The ghost then appeared to Kiku, explaining that he had brought all this on himself. All of the trouble that had been caused could have been avoided if he just stopped construction. The ghost then promised he would haunt the top floor for the rest of the days this building stayed up…

"However, Kiku couldn't afford to leave his building, regardless of whatever ghosts took up residence there. So, instead, he covered up the ghost story as best he could… but mysteriously, he hasn't allowed a single soul to live on the top floor.

"It has been said that only the people given explicit permission by the Ghost himself are allowed to tread there safely… there is no telling what happens to the rest.

"…it's also been said that on certain nights, the young man's ghost wanders the lower levels with his blood-soaked bat in hand... smiling politely to those he meets with the mad glint in his eye…"

Arthur then leaned back, folded his arms and smiled at them, "…and there you have it. The Top-Floor Ghost."

Alfred got up shakily, "It wasn't that scary… I think you're losing your touch, Artie…" he said, and then plopped back in front of his game, put on his headset and continued playing.

Ludwig became aware that Feliciano was holding tightly to his arm.

Ludwig gave his arm a bit of a shake in an effort to make Feliciano let go, but it didn't seem to work. He frowned, "...you don't really believe that, do you?" Ludwig asked Feliciano in an effort to make him calm down, "It was just a story..."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, "Many people have lost their lives because they thought the same thing…" he said.

Feliciano gripped Ludwig's arm tighter, and Ludwig repressed the urge to just shove him off.

Ludwig sighed and got up, dragging Feliciano up with him, "Well, Arthur, thank you for telling me about him…"

"Any time," Arthur replied with a smirk on his face. It seemed very obvious that he was rather pleased with himself that he managed to scare some people with his story.

Later, in the hallway, Ludwig finally successfully dislodged Feliciano from his arm.

"Sorry," Feliciano said immediately, "It's just… ghosts…"

Ludwig nodded.

"My cousin's an exorcist in Italy, so he always tells us about those sorts of things…" Feliciano swallowed, but then looked up and grinned, "…but the Top-Floor Ghost is not as scary as the things my cousin tells me, at least…"

"Your cousin is an exorcist?" Ludwig asked, not expecting that piece of information at all.

"Oh, yeah," Feliciano said with a smile, "He's a really good one, too! He helps a lot of people. Well," he said, checking his wristwatch, "It's pretty late, I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

Ludwig simply blinked and watched as Feliciano disappeared into his room as quick as a wink.


End file.
